Pallet

ABSTRACT

A pallet consisting essentially of a lattice and longitudinal and cross ribs edgewise to the load-carrying surfaces. The ribs extend the full depth of the pallet at nine regions spaced from each other and arranged in sets of three, aligned lengthwise, crosswise and diagonally of the pallet. The spaces between the sets provide fork lift openings on both the sides and ends of the pallet. The lower ends of the full depth ribs are tied together by integral lattice elements extending crosswise of the pallet.

United States Patent Cloyd 1451' Sept. 19,1972

[5 PALLET 3,467,032 9/1969 Rowlands et a]. ..l08/51 3,561,375 2/1971 Hammond ..l08/53 [72] Inventor: Harold S. Clo'yd, Erie, Pa. 16506 [73] Assignee: Nosco Plastics, Incorporated, Erie, Pa.

22 Filed: 061. 9, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 79,549

52 u.s.c| ..108 58 511 lnt. Cl. ..B65d 19/18 [58] FieldofSearch ..108/37-58 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 3,307,504 3/1967 Cloyd et al. 108/58 2,991,965 7/1961 Drieborg ..108/58 3,228,358 1/1966 Sere et al ..l08/58 3,481,285 12/1969 Yellin ..l08/58 3,187,689 6/1965 Hess 108/58 Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay Assistant Examiner-Glenn O. Finch Attorney-Ralph Mammar [57] ABSTRACT I of the pallet. The lower ends of the full depth ribs are tied together by integral lattice elements extending crosswise of the pallet.

2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures- P ATE N TEB Z 3.691.965

sum 1 or 2 Fe Maw ATTORNEY PALLET This invention is intended to simplify the manufacture of pallets consisting essentially of longitudinal and cross ribs extending edgewise to the load-carrying surfaces.

In the drawing, FIG. 1 is a plan view of the upper surface of a pallet; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lower surface of the pallet; FIG. 3 is a side view of the pallet; FIG. 4 is an end view of the pallet showing the pallet supported on an angle iron structure; FIG. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of FIG. 2; and FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

The pallet has verticallyv spaced upper and lower load-carrying surfaces 1 and 2. The upper surface 1 is preferably a single section as shown in FIG. 1. The lower surface 2 comprises three sections, sections 2a and 2b' extending across each end of the pallet and a section 2c extending across the center of the pallet. The upper surface 1 is formed by the upper edges of a lattice of lengthwise extending or longitudinal ribs 3 and crosswise extending or cross ribs 4. The ribs 3 and 4 extend edgewise to the planes of the upper and lower surfaces of the pallet. The ribs are joined to each other at their intersections. The longitudinal ribs are joined to peripheral end walls 5 and the cross ribs are joined to peripheral side walls 6. This provides a rigid structure which is readily adapted to plastic molding.

The spacing between the ribs may be varied as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to accommodate the stress characteristics of the pallet.

In nine regions designated by the numerals 7 through 15, the ribs 3, 4 extend the full depth of the pallet. In FIG. 2, the ribs in regions 7 through are shown in full wall thickness. The regions 7 through 15 are spaced from each other to provide crosswise extending fork lift ways l6, l7 and lengthwise extending fork ways l8, 19. The. regions 7 through 15 are also arranged in sets of three, aligned lengthwise, crosswise and diagonally of the pallet. One set, 7, 8, 9 is at one end of the pallet; another set 13, 14, 15 is at the opposite end; and the third set 10, l l, 12 is at the center of the pallet.

The ways l6, 17 which extend from side to side of the pallet are open at the bottom and are therefore very easy to mold without the use of retractable cores. The ways 18, 19 which extend from end to end of the pallet are open at the regions of intersection with the ways 16, 17 but are closed on their lower sides by lattices through 25, inclusive, which in addition to closing the ways 18, 19 serve as cross struts between the regions of full depth ribs 7 through 15, inclusive. The ribs in regions 20 through have wall thickness comparable with the ribs in regions 7 through 15 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 but are shown as single lines to prevent confusion. The few ribs shown in single lines in way 16 and in way 17 indicate the lower edges of ribs forming the top surface of the pallet. If all ribs were shown, FIG. 2 would have the same appearance as FIG. 1 and the differentiation between the ribs would be confused. Molding of the ways 18, 19 requires retractable cores. The lattices 20 through 25 are of the same construction of intersecting longitudinal and cross ribs used in the balance of the pallet. At opposite ends of the longitudinal ways l8, 19, there are beveled walls 26, 27, 28, 29 (FIG. 4') which lead the forks into the ways. As shown in FIG. 5, the ribs at the upper side of the longitudinal fi e ti iifi ir f nhi'hi ll iii fgffsfil lfi i i fili 17 have similar surfaces 31 which are formed by the lower edges of ribs of greater depth than those forming the surfaces 30. The greater depth of ribs forming the surfaces 31 provide greater rigidity and compensates for the absence of struts such as shown 'at 20-25 extending in the lengthwise direction. The depth of the ribs 3 and 4 as measured from the upper surface 1 of the pallet is greatest in regions 7 through 15 where the ribs extend the full thickness of the pallet, is less at surfaces 31 of the side to side ways 16, 17 and is least at the surfaces 30 of the end to end ways 18, 19. FIG. 5 shows the load carrying surface 31 of one of the side to side ways extending below the load carrying surfaces 30 of both end to end ways. FIG. 6 shows the load carrying surfaces 31 of both side to side ways 16, 17 below the load carrying surface 30 of one of the end to end ways.

In use, the pallets are supported on angle irons 32, 33 which engage the longitudinal edges of the pallet. The cross struts 20-25 act as tension members which increase the rigidity of the pallets when supported on the angle irons.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A pallet having vertically spaced upper and lower load-carrying surfaces, the upper load-carrying surface being integral with the upper edges of a lattice of a plurality of intersecting longitudinal and cross ribs presented edgewise to said surface, the ribs extending the full thickness of the pallet in nine regions spaced from each other and aligned lengthwise, crosswise, and diagonally of the pallet in sets of three, two sets extending respectively across each end of the pallet from comer to comer and a third set extending crosswise of the pallet midway between the ends of the pallet, the ribs between said full thickness regions terminating midway between the upper and lower surfaces of the pallet to provide two pairs of fork lift ways intersecting each other, one pair of ways extending from end to end and the other pair extending from side to side of the pallet; the side to side ways being open at the lower surface of the pallet including the regions of intersection with the end to end ways, and the end to end ways having their lower sides closed between the regions of intersection with the side to side ways by lattices of intersecting longitudinal and cross ribs presented edgewise to the lower surface of the pallet and serving as cross struts tying together the lower edges of the full thickness ribs, the depth of said ribs above the end to end ways including the ribs in the regions of intersection of the end to end ways with the side to side ways being less than the depth of said ribs above the side to side ways excluding the regions of intersection of the end to end ways with the side to side ways.

2. The pallet of claim 1 having longitudinally extending angle irons on opposite sides of the pallet with flanges extending in supporting relationship beneath longitudinal edges of the lower load-carrying surfaces. 

1. A pallet having vertically spaced upper and lower loadcarrying surfaces, the upper load-carrying surface being integral with the upper edges of a lattice of a plurality of intersecting longitudinal and cross ribs presented edgewise to said surface, the ribs extending the full thickness of the pallet in nine regions spaced from each other and aligned lengthwise, crosswise, and diagonally of the pallet in sets of three, two sets extending respectively across each end of the pallet from corner to corner and a third set extending crosswise of the pallet midway between the ends of the pallet, the ribs between said full thickness regions terminating midway between the upper and lower surfaces of the pallet to provide two pairs of fork lift ways intersecting each other, one pair of ways extending from end to end and the other pair extending from side to side of the pallet; the side to side ways being open at the lower surface of the pallet including the regions of intersection with the end to end ways, and the end to end ways having their lower sides closed between the regions of intersection with the side to side ways by lattices of intersecting longitudinal and cross ribs presented edgewise to the lower surface of the pallet and serving as cross struts tying together the lower edges of the full thickness ribs, the depth of said ribs above the end to end ways including the ribs in the regions of intersection of the end to end ways with the side to side ways being less than the depth of said ribs above the side to side ways excluding the regions of intersection of the end to end ways with the side to side ways.
 2. The pallet of claim 1 having longitudinally extending angle irons on opposite sides of the pallet with flanges extending in supporting relationship beneath longitudinal edges of the lower load-carrying surfaces. 